2006 03-04 Hotline - Scuttlebutt Sailing News · 2019. 5. 18. · Commerce Township, MI 48382...
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Transcript of 2006 03-04 Hotline - Scuttlebutt Sailing News · 2019. 5. 18. · Commerce Township, MI 48382...
MARCH–APRIL 2006VOLUME 35, NUMBER 2
The Hobie Class Association HOTLINE is the offi-cial publication of the Hobie Class Association ofNorth America (HCANA). Contents © 2006 HCANA.All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or in partwithout permission is prohibited. It is distributed sixtimes a year to HCANA Members. Its goal is to keepthe North American Region informed of the businessof the Class Association. Questions and suggestionsshould be directed to the address below. The HCANAis proud to be a member of the United States SailingAssociation (US SAILING).
The purpose of the Hobie Class Association of NorthAmerica is to establish and promote the higheststandards of Hobie Cat sailing/racing in its geographicboundaries in collaboration with the National andInternational sailing authorities.
HOBIE CLASS ASSOCIATION HOTLINEMatthew P. Bounds, Editor3798 Damas Dr.Commerce Township, MI [email protected]
The name Hobie Cat®, and the “flying H” logo areused by permission and are registered and li-censed trademarks of the Hobie Cat Company,P.O. Box 1008, Oceanside, CA 92051.
The Official Publication of the HobieClass Association of North America
OfficersChairEd Muns
1st Vice ChairBob Merrick
2nd Vice ChairRob Jerry
Youth Program Dir.Mimi Appel
Membership ChairDiane Bisesi
SecretaryKathy Ward
TreasurerKathleen Tracy
Race DirectorPaul Ulibarri
HOTLINE StaffEditorMatt Bounds
CoverMatt Miller,Hobie Cat USA
Review CommitteeLaurie BoundsTheresa WhiteLiza ClevelandCindy PhippsMatt MillerChris Wessels
ContributorsBill BaldwinJohn BauldryJudy DornbrockBill JeffersMike MadgeBob MerrickMatt MillerHeather MorrrisonEd MunsDarren SmithPaul UlibarriTheresa White
cleanairflatwater
HCA-NA Governance
As we enter the 2006 sailing season, preparing ourselves and our boats for another exciting schedule of regattas, it is appropriate to review the Hobie Class As-
sociation of North America’s governance. While hopefully takinga back seat to sailing and racing, running the class is nonethelessa critical task for the continued health of the Hobie Class.
Superficially, the HCA-NA executive officers in particular, and all the volunteerofficers in general, appear to be “running” the class. This column and others perpetu-ate that perception. But a little-known fact is that the sixteen division chairs plus theWomen’s Representative hold the voting power to make all the key decisions for theHCA-NA. Each division chair, in turn, is representing the HCA-NA members intheir geographical area. Division bylaws govern how that representation handled.
As you can imagine, it is not practical to convene a discussion and vote on everydetail of the daily management of the HCA-NA. For this work, the division chairsand Women’s Rep essentially delegate specific work areas among the various volun-teer officers. The HCA-NA Chair and two Vice Chairs are directly elected toperform specific tasks as outlined in the Bylaws. The other HCA-NA officers areappointed. All the officers and the seventeen voting members form the HCA-NABoard of Directors (BoD). In addition, there are standing committees such as theBylaws Committee and the Nominating Committee that have specific responsibili-ties. Other committees are formed as needed and key decisions are put forth by theofficers and/or committees for consideration by the voting members of the BoD.
At the HCA-NA Annual General Meeting (AGM), the officers for the subse-quent year are elected or appointed and the annual budget approved. The officersand committees are then free to carry out their job descriptions outlined in theBylaws and constrained by the annual budget. For any issues that arise outside this“business as usual” framework, the BoD may be asked to discuss and vote.
A recent example of this involved an issue before the International HCA Council.As the North American HCA representative on that council, I decided that thisparticular issue needed to come back to the HCA-NA BoD to decide how I shouldvote. There was a potentially significant financial impact on the HCA-NA that wasnot in the budget approved by the BoD at the last AGM. It was extremely gratifyingto me for the HCA-NA BoD to quickly jump in, understand the issue, discuss it a bitvia e-mail and then vote the HCA-NA position, all within one week.
The HCA-NA AGM will be held at the Hobie 16 North American Champion-ship in September. Officers and committees will be elected and appointed. Istrongly urge each of you to seriously consider stepping forward to volunteer yourtime to help run the class. The future of the class and quality of our sailing andracing depend on all of us pooling our efforts.
Ed Muns, HCA-NA Chair
2 MAR / APR 2006
features The Ultimate Sail Pattern GuideFrom Flamer to Spirit, We’ve Got Them All
A Cure for Popsicle ToesNorthern Tiger Sailors Escape to Florida in January
Keepin’ ScoreCongratulations to the 2005 North American Points Champions!
Personal Profile - Darren SmithAn Interview with the New Australian 16 National Champion
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contents
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photo / illustrationcredits Cover – Sandy Banks
Clean Air Flat Water – Teri McKennaContents – Matt Bounds, SPORT the LibraryHobie History – Hobie Cat USA / Hobie HOTLINEJust in Off the Wire – Tom Monkus, US SAILINGSignal Boat – Mike Walker / Stuart CrabbeWomen On the Water – Heather Morrison, Roger TahaRules in Play – Bob MerrickSail Pattern Guide – Matt Bounds, Hobie HOTLINE, Teri McKennaScoring System – Stuart CrabbePopsicle Toes – Matt Bounds, Steve Oad, Kelly JasonPersonal Profile – Paul Davis, Sue Fields
HOBIE CLASS
If you have not renewed your HCA Membership, thiswill be the last HOTLINE you receive – renew today!
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resources
Hobie History10, 20 and 30 Years Ago
Signal BoatCurrents
Women On the WaterAn Interview with Judy Dornbrock
Rules in PlayThe Leeward Rounding
columns6
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2006 Regatta Schedule
HCA Youth Grant Information
HCANA Officers and Council Members
2006 HCA Membership Application
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on the cover MidWinter’s East - 1980How many sail patterns can you see?
ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA
4 MAR / APR 2006
HCA Sanctioned Division RegattasDivision 2—Southern CA / AZ / NVwww.hobiedivision2.com
Division 3—Northern CAwww.hobie3.org
World Championships www.hobieworlds.com
5th Tiger & 2nd Dragoon Jul 24–28 Cangas, ESP
North American Championships www.hca-na.org
Hobie 16 Women/Youth July 21-23 Atlantic Highlands, NJHobie Tiger / 17 Aug 7-11 San Francisco, CA Hobie 16 Open Sept 11–15 Narragansett, RIHobie 14 Sept 23–24 Clear Lake, IAHobie 18 / 20 Sept 25–29 Lake Texoma, TX
HCA Area ChampionshipsNorth East May 19–21 Syracuse, NY www.fleet204.comMidAmerica’s June 3–4 Lk. Texoma, TX www.fleet23.comNorth Central Aug 5–6 Yankton, SD www.hobiecatdivision7.org
Other EventsF-18 North Americans Sep 18–22 Lake Carlyle, IL www.naf18.com
2006regattaschedule
Division 4—Pacific Northwestwww.hobiedivision4.org
Division 5—Mountain Stateswww.hobiediv5.org
Several dates and contact info have changedsince the last issue. Check the Division
websites for the latest information.
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Regatta Scorers - Remember to send your results to:
Division 7—Prairie Stateswww.hobiecatdivision7.org
Division 10—Great Lakes / Midwestwww.HCADivision10.com
Division 11—Mid-Atlanticwww.div11.hobieclass.com
The following divisions do not have sanctioned regattasor have not submitted their schedules for 2006:Division 6—South TX, Eastern LAContact: Chris Green–281•352•1325, [email protected]
Division 8—South FloridaContact: Bob Johnson –813•960•1937, [email protected]
Division 9—Southern Atlanticwww.hobiediv9.orgContact: Loyd Graves–919•787•0222, [email protected]
Division 12—New Englandwww.hobie-div12.orgContact: Dave Heroux –401•647•3203, [email protected]
Division15—Gulf Coast, LA, MS, AL, ARContact: Brad Stephens– 850•235•2281, [email protected]
Division13—Mexico/Carribean/Central AmericaContact: Alfredo Figueroa–[email protected]
Division 14—N. TX, OK, AR, S. KSwww.division14.hobieclass.com
Division 16—Upstate NY, Ontariowww.nahca-div16.org
6 MAR / APR 2006
10, 20 & 30 Years Agohobiehistory
1976
(Above) In what has to be the best deal forHobie sailors, Coleman acquires arecreational sailboat manufacturer and thesailors acquire Doug Campbell. Coleman hasbeen gone for seventeen years, but Doug isstill around, most recently serving on the juryfor the 2005 Hobie 16 North Americans.(Above) Denver gets cold in the winter, and the people must get a little
nuts. Indoor sailing on Hobie 10’s? You can just imagine Hobie sayingto himself, “The stuff I have to do to move some product . . . “
(Above and below right) In anotherdemonstration of bizarre sailing rituals, thePacific Beer Race involved cross-dressingmen and lots of beer. Unlikely to happen intoday’s more PC times.
(Above) In what was to be the first of manycelebrity endorsements for Hobie Cats,America’s first Olympic skiing medalist, BillyKidd, plugs the Hobie 16.
Today, Billy Kidd is the Director of Skiing atSteamboat Ski Resort in Colorado.
(Below) It started as a bar room bet in 1974.It wasn’t called the Worrell 1000 yet, but thegrand daddy of all catamaran distance raceswas scheduled for its first organized run inMay of 1976.
Some thingsactually get betterwith age. The MAGtie downs are stillavailable, and arenearly $20 less(inflation adjusted)than they were in1976.
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1996
1986
(Left) John Ross-Duggan, shownin a 2004 photo, was the 1977Hobie 16 National Championbefore breaking his neck in anauto accident eight monthslater. He continued to sail afterrecovering and had a banneryear in 1996. He was named USSAILING’S Male Athlete of theYear, was the 1996 ParalympicBronze Medallist and was the1996 Hobie 16 Trapseat WorldChampion
John is still very involved insailing and is an advocate fordisabled sailors.
(Below and right) The Hobie 16 Worlds inDubai wrapped up with the release ofpostage stamps commemorating the event
(Above) In what has to be one of the best regatta announcements,Atlanta Hobie Fleet 12 prepares for the upcoming regatta season.
The Hobie 16 Worlds may be returning to Fijiin 2007. What goes around, comes around.
(Right) Hobie Fleet 250 in northern NewJersey goes all out for membership byadvertising in the HOTLINE. Fleet 250 is stillgoing strong today, and will host the Hobie16 Women and Youth Championships in2006.
(Left) Did you knowthat the first HobieWave wasn’t acatamaran? TheAlpha Wave was apredecessor of theHobie Kayaks oftoday.
Actually, this photoof Dan Mangusproved that he couldsneak a picture ofhimself naked intothe HOTLINE.
8 MAR / APR 2006
justinoffthewireLate Breaking News and Notes
Hobie Adventure KayakWins Award
The Hobie Adventure Kayakhas won a “Paddler’s Pick” award inthe 2006 Paddler Magazine Buyer’sGuide issue. Congratulations to thecrew at Hobie Cat USA forturning out another great product!
Juani Maegli Wins ISSANational Championship
Check out who won the HighSchool Single Handed Nationals(AKA the Cressy trophy), held onLasers this year. Congratulations toJuani Maegli, the amazing andversatile Hobie 16 sailor fromGuatemala!
Morton Starr Cressy, Jr. was a1927 graduate of the United StatesNaval Academy and an avid sailor.
Penalty TurnsFirst 360° Turn
In the Jan./Feb. HOTLINE
article, “Promoting CatamaranSailing,” Art Stevens was creditedwith founding the Fastand Fun Program. Intruth, Gordon Isco wasthe founder of Fast andFun, not Art. Gordonwas the Chairman of theUS SAILING MultihullCouncil at the time, andcame up with the ideafor Fast and Fun. Henegotiated the deal for the HobieWaves with Hobie Cat, andsecured the funds through theHoyt-Jolly Fund. Art was the ViceChairman, and took over in 2002when Gordon became ill.
Gordon is a long-time Hobiesailor / racer and is also the artistwho crafted the Alter Cup trophyitself.
Second 360° TurnOn page 24 of the Jan/Feb
HOTLINE, there is a picture ofQuique and Carla Figeuroa and acaption referencing them as thehighest placing North Americanteam. However, the team of JuaniMaegli and Cristina Guirola fromGuatemala’s Fleet 138, Division13, with a 9th place finish, were infact the highest placing NorthAmerican Team. This is the secondworlds in a row that Juani wasskippering the top finishing boatfrom the whole North Americancontinent.
Gordon Isco
The Cressy Trophy was presentedto the Naval Academy by his wifein his memory. The Cressy TrophyRegatta was originally a multi-division invitational high schoolregatta sailed in 420s and Lasers,
hosted by USNAsince 1979,sometimes inconjunction withthe ISSA MalloryTrophy Regatta.The Deed of Giftwas changed in1985 to rededicate
the Cressy Trophy as the NationalHigh School SinglehandedChampionship trophy, sailed inLasers. Since 1990, it has beenrecognized by the InterscholasticYacht Racing Association, now theInterscholastic Sailing Association(ISSA), as the ISSA NationalSinglehanded Championship.Competition now rotates annuallyamong the several ISSA districts,in the Fall of the precedingcalendar year.
Juani is second from right in the dark shirt
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10 MAR / APR 2006
CurrentRace Committee and competitor considerations
by Paul Ulibarri, HCANA Race Director
signalboat
In race management there are three things the race officer is looking for regarding current:how it affects the start, the weatherleg and the run. The racer shouldbe looking at the same things.
The StartIf the current is with the wind,
coming down the course, the effectis to push a starboard boat towardsthe pin. The RC can offset this bymaking the signal boat favored,thus opening up the pin so boatswon’t get swept into it. Alterna-tively the RC can make the linelonger. Long lines are not desired,so this is not the best solution. Ifthe left side of the course isfavored, favoring the boat willwork, but if the right side of thecourse is favored, the competitorswill stack near the signal boat.
If the current is against thewind and flowing towards theweather mark, the boats will trackhigher on each tack. So startingnear the signal boat will push youmuch higher than a normal trackand closer to the weather mark. Itmight be then the RC will favorthe pin end to lessen the number ofboats trying to start right at thesignal boat.
A side current has the tendencyto work somewhat like a down-
wind current for boats on starboardtack, if it is flowing from the signalboat to the pin. In that case, it has atendency to push racers into thepin, thus the RC may favor thesignal boat. The effect of currentfrom the pin to the signal boat on astarboard tack boat is to push thecompetitor into the signal boat,particularly in light wind. The RCmay favor the pin end in theseconditions to get the racers tospread down the line.
Another strong considerationfor starting in a current that ispushing you to the line or pushingyou away from the line: if you arebeing pushed to the line, set up animaginary line a boat length or twoto leeward of the line, so that willnot be pushed over prematurely. Ihave been in areas where the wholefleet sails downwind at the line andat the last moment bear off andhardens up for the start.
With the current against you atthe start, there is the possibility ofgetting to the line early andparking. The current will hold youin place.
If a current pushing is you to thepin, and if you want to start at thesignal boat, set up starboard of thesignal boat and let the current takeyou to the correct side. If youinitially set up on the port side, you
will be swept away from the boatcreating a hole for the tricky guywho set up to starboard. On acurrent pushing towards the signalboat, you can press the pin a littleharder particularly if the left side ofthe course is where you want to go.
The Windward LegIt is generally accepted that the
favored side of the course is moreimportant than the current at thestart. Often a favored side isbecause of a lift off a beach, but itmay also be due to current. Theclassic example is a course near abeach where there is a strong floodtide coming in with the wind. Thiscurrent will have a tendency topush the boats to leeward. Thecurrent in these cases is usuallyweaker in shallow water because ofthe drag on the bottom andbecause there may be a back-eddynear the shore. In either case thebeach will most likely be favoredon the beat due to heavier currentoutside in the deeper water. Alsothere are the potential lifts from abeach.
The committee will most likelytake this into consideration whenlaying the weather mark, and willgenerally favor the opposite end ofthe line away from the favored side.
In any case, the idea is get to the
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beach first. Or if not first, thenhigher than your competition.Often you will find that it isbeneficial to short tack the beachuntil you are above the lay line tothe weather mark.
With a strong ebb that is goingagainst the wind, you will note firstthat the water is a bit more choppybecause of the conflict of wind andcurrent. In this situation, you willwant to take advantage of thestronger current pushing you to theweather mark, unless there isstronger wind or a big lift inshore.
Often the committee will setthe weather mark to make the runsquare rather than the beat square.As you look up wind to theweather mark, it may seem not tobe to weather. If so, it is conceiv-able that the RC has set for the runnot the beat.
The Downwind LegIf there is a strong current either
upwind or downwind, the coursewill be set fairly square. However, ifthere is a cross current, the weathermark will be set into the current.
If the mark is set directlyupwind and there is a cross current,the course becomes a drag race. Asboats round, they can bear away, setfor the run. If the wind is light tomedium and the current substan-tial, the racers will come close tothe leeward mark without gybing.If the current is from right to left,they can gybe and hold the coursealmost to the leeward mark.
To offset this, the committeewill set the mark into the current toallow boats to gybe downwind as atactic. If the committee is unawareof the current, the course will be aone way course, with few passinglanes.
As a general comment, goodrace committees seldom set theweather mark directly upwind. Thereason is that on most courses thereis a favored side, or a current, orboth, so they need to offset tosquare the course.
LaylinesRemember if the current is with
you, you can tack or gybe early. Ifagainst, later is better – overstandmarks. On the run, if the current iswith you, you might sail a bithigher and hotter.
Offset MarksAn offset mark is used primarily
to keep boats from rounding theweather mark tight and runninginto port boats still beating to themark. It is essentially a safety tool,however it can be used effectivelyto square a course if there is astrong cross current. An offsetmark essentially gives you twoweather marks so that the coursecan be squared for the beat and therun.
Measuring CurrentFew competitors have a current
measuring tool. If you wish tomake a simple one just fill anempty plastic water bottle abouthalf full so that it floats, but is notaffected by the wind. The problemwith this is that it is another pieceof equipment to carry. Instead, pickup a piece of seaweed or a smallpiece of flotsam or jetsam. Alterna-tively, carry a small sponge or awaded piece of paper. I use aseaweed bulb/leaf when possible;this works great.
Toss your floating object next tothe leeward mark and observewhich way it drifts and how fast.
(1.7 ft./sec. = 1 kt.; approximately 1boat length in 10 seconds = 1 kt.; 1boat length in 5 seconds = 2 kts.) Ifyou are there early, do the same atthe weather mark or some channelmarker in the area. Don’t forget, ifyou brought it, pick it up.
GeneralOn the beat with a negative
current (current is seldom directlydown wind, and assuming nofavored side), you should initiallytry to spend more time sailing intothe current or abeam of it. Here iswhere it is important to know thedirection and strength of thecurrent at both the starting area,and the weather mark. It may bethat there are different currentdirections and different strengths atthese two locations. If so, youmight take advantage of each bysailing the tack that takes you asmuch toward the mark as theconditions allow. It’s a question ofangle gained vs. ground lost. If indoubt, go with the stronger wind orhigher lift.
We are essentially dealing withsurface currents. However, instrong current areas where there isalso depth, the RC may need todeal with a sub current as well,particularly in setting the startingline and the gates.
The Straits of Juan de Fuca,where we often race, is a primeexample where the surface currentmay be going south-east at twoknots while a sub-current may gonorthwest at four knots. Add tothat a westerly wind at 18 knots,five foot waves, and 600 feet ofwater. Fun—for a masochist.
And finally, with a big currentand light wind, go golfing instead.
PU
12 MAR / APR 2006
An Interview with Judy DornbrockConquering first timer’s fear
Heather Morrison, HCA Women’s Representative
womenonthewater
Heather’s Notes: This topic shouldprove helpful to a few ladies who may bejust getting into the sport or areconsidering it. Judy Dornbrock crews onan 18 and was on the 2nd place boat atthe 2005 Hobie 18 North Americans.
MORRISON: Who do you racewith?
DORNBROCK: I race with myfiancé, Stephen Cooley. Hispassion for sailing and sailboatracing is hard to resist.
MORRISON: How long have youbeen racing/sailing?
DORNBROCK: I started sailingwith Stephen in April 2001 atthe Spring Fever Regatta, atLake Hartwell in Georgia. Ihad no idea what I was gettinginto at the time. We had twodays of incredibly light air andon the last day it blew so hard it
was raining sideways. At thatpoint, I didn’t even knowenough to be scared.
MORRISON: How did youovercome fear of sailing to startracing?
DORNBROCK: I was never reallyafraid of “sailing.” However, Icannot swim and due to somechildhood experiences I have a“healthy respect” for the water.To be totally honest I still havefear, but over the past four years,with patient encouragementfrom a kind and gentle skipper Ihave been able to manage myfear. Stephen never pressuredme to go out, he was alwayswilling to try to find someoneelse to sail with him if theconditions were such that I wasuncomfortable. One thing thatmade it possible for me to racewas that Stephen promised methat if conditions got too hairy,and I wanted to go in, all I hadto do was ask. It was almosttwo years after we started sailingtogether before that happened,but when that day came, and thewind was blowing so strong thatI was truly scared enough to askto be taken in, he did nothesitate, he turned off of thestart line, and took me to shore.Afterwards I felt bad because it
cost us the regatta, But, the factthat he honored his promise tome, without a moments hesita-tion, gave me great comfort. Itis that trust in his respect for myfeelings that make it possible forme to go out and race with him.
MORRISON: What would youtell other women who might bea bit fearful of sailing or racingto help them overcome the fear?
DORNBROCK: Make sure thatyour skipper understands howyou feel before you go out onthe water. Talk about yourfeelings, be honest, set groundrules that you both agree on.Then, when the time comes forunpleasant or uncomfortabledecisions to be made, therewon’t be any misunderstanding.Sailing should be fun foreveryone on the boat, not justthe skipper. Start out at a levelwhere you are comfortable. Asyour confidence increases in theboat, your skipper and mostimportantly yourself, you willfind that little by little, your fearwill begin to diminish.
MORRISON: Does a competitivemind-set help?
DORNBROCK: Absolutely.However, it is not absolutelynecessary. I haven’t got a reallycompetitive bone in my body. I
Stephen Cooley and Judy Dornbrock warded 2nd at the 2005 Hobie 18North American Championships
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race because it is important toStephen, and I enjoy it when wedo well. To be totally honest,there are days, I would be just ashappy sitting on the beach.
MORRISON: What if a womandoesn’t want to go out in heavywind? What would you tellthem so they would try it? Should they start with light air?
DORNBROCK: Heavy windsailing is really more thananything a matter of havingconfidence in your skipper.Confidence that he will notcompromise your safety unnec-essarily. Confidence that he willback off and understand that therelationship is more importantthan the race. The next is veryimportant, confidence that hewill respect your feelings andyour fears, and make allowanceswithout getting angry orimpatient. (Pay attention herefellas!) It has taken years for meto be able to go out and sail inheavy winds and sometimes Iam still fearful. However,because of Stephen’s patienceand respect for my feelings, Ican now sail in conditions thatwould have scared the heck outof me three or four years ago.
MORRISON: Does the right kindof equipment (harness, lifejacket) and a good boat help youfeel more confident?
DORNBROCK: Yes. It is myopinion that if you are uncom-fortable in your equipment, thenyou are uncomfortable evenbefore you get on the boat. Thatalone makes it hard, if notimpossible to focus on the manyother important things that aregoing to be going on during aday of racing. Also, dress to be
warm, I know when I get cold,my anxiety level goes up muchmore quickly, and to a muchhigher level than the conditionsmight warrant.
MORRISON: How can your crewmate (skipper or crew) help aperson in overcoming the fear?
DORNBROCK: Try to quantifyyour fear, try to figure outexactly what it is you are afraidof, and communicate it to yourskipper. Then, hopefully, he cantake steps to alleviate your fear.For example, if you are afraid offalling off of the boat, he mightsay “tuck your feet under thehiking strap, or hang on to theline or the shroud so that youfeel more attached to the boat.”Or if you are afraid of flippingthe boat, he could sheet out andsettle the boat down so that youare more comfortable. Morethan anything, do not yell, whensomeone yells at me, I just shutdown. Once I shut down, then Ican guarantee you I am nothaving fun. If I am not havingfun, why would I ever want togo out and do this again? Onething that Stephen says when Imake a mistake, or blow a tackis “That’s OK, we’ll do it betterthe next time.” His patient andconfidence that I am doing thebest that I can at that particularmoment in time is what makesme want to try harder to do itbetter the next time.
MORRISON: Other suggestionsor comments others mightappreciate hearing?
DORNBROCK: I think it is veryimportant that your skipper iswilling to make allowances foryour fears, he may not under-stand them, but he absolutely
Sailing season is coming up fast! Many greatevents are planned for the year, with one of thembeing the Women’s H-16 NAC from July 21–23 atAtlantic Highlands, NJ. Be sure to thank KathyKulkoski for putting all the details together to holdthe event. So get it on your calendars now. Also, theWOW workshops are shaping up this year. Look forall the updates on the website. Get involved! Theseare great workshops designed for you!
must respect your feelings. Ihave been very fortunate in thatI started sailing with a compe-tent and experienced skipper. Itprobably would have been muchmore difficult had my skipperbeen as inexperienced as I was.New skippers that wish to sailwith a significant other for thelong term, might take onsomeone else for a short time
until they build up their owncompetence and experience inheavy weather conditions. I’veseen some women that startsailing and learn fear from a badexperience early on in theirsailing. Those fears are thehardest ones to overcome.
MORRISON: Thanks for sharingyour thoughts with us, Judy!
14 MAR / APR 2006
The Leeward RoundingGates vs. Single Marks
by Bob Merrick, HCANA 1st Vice Chair
rulesinplay
Downwind gates were introduced into Hobie racing almost ten years
ago. Despite this, there is still con-siderable confusion about how themark rounding rule (Rule 18) ap-plies when there are two marks inclose proximity to each other. Inthis installment, I’ll explain howone rule—admittedly a long andcomplex one—covers both situa-tions on the race course.
Rounding the GateWe round lots of gates in
catamaran racing. The leeward gateoffers additional tactical consider-ation to a race and often cleans upcongestion at the bottom of the leg.But when the gates are set too close
together, things can get a littletricky with some boats going oneway and others going the otherway. Consider the followingcommon situation (shown inFigure A):
Two boats are approaching theleeward gate on opposite tacksand the marks of the gate are seta bit too close together. Theboats are on a collision course.The port tack boat intends toround the starboard mark (theright hand mark lookingupwind). She yells to thestarboard boat that she is givingthe starboard tack boat room toround the starboard mark.Given that there is a gate, whathappens if the starboard boatwants to round the other mark?
Rule 18 is the basic “buoy room”rule. Rule 18 applies when boatsare about to round or pass a markthey are required to leave on thesame side. Since the two boats arenot passing the marks on the sameside, Rule 18 does not apply. Thestarboard tack boat has rights – toround either mark. Rule 10 (OnOpposite Tacks) is in effect.Should the starboard tack boatwant to round the left mark, theport boat must give way to the
starboard tack boat. If the starboardtack boat wishes to round thestarboard gate mark, then Rule 18applies; they have an overlap (bydefinition) and they are onlylimited by Rule 18.4 (more on thatlater).
A Single Leeward MarkNow let’s consider what would
happen in the same situationwithout a gate. Now there is oneleeward mark to be rounded to port(refer to the Figure B at right).
Rule 10 (On Opposite Tacks)applies until the first boat reachesthe two-length zone. As soon asthat happens, Rule 18 “switcheson,” even though the boats are onopposite tacks. 18.1(b) does notapply because it is not a windwardmark and neither boat has to tack,although the starboard tack boatmust gybe to round the mark.However, the starboard tack boat islimited by Rule 18.4. Rule 18.4states that the starboard tack boatcannot sail further than her propercourse dictates. Basically, she mustgybe when she reaches the laylineto the mark.
Extra CreditNow turn your attention to rule
18.2(b) and notice that thestarboard tack boat not only has
Figure A
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room at the mark, but also has theright of way because she is onstarboard. Rule 18.2(b) states thatthe outside boat must keep clear
because the inside boat has right ofway. For comparison, if both boatswere on port, the outside boatwould be the leeward boat and shewould have right of way. In thissituation she only has to give room
to the inside boat. So what’s thedifference? In the first situationwhen the outside boat is requiredtoo keep clear and the inside boatcan make a nice tactical rounding.This basically means that she canstart the turn wide of the mark andthen come right up close to it onclose hauled. In the secondsituation, when both boats are on
port, the inside boat must only takethe room she needs to get aroundthe mark. She is not permitted tomake a nice tactical rounding.
One final thing to rememberabout Rule 18 is that it does notonly apply to mark rounding it alsoapplies to obstructions but that’s astory for another day.
Play fair out there!Bob
Rules in Play:
18 R18 R18 R18 R18 ROUNDING AND POUNDING AND POUNDING AND POUNDING AND POUNDING AND PASSING MARKS AND OBSTRASSING MARKS AND OBSTRASSING MARKS AND OBSTRASSING MARKS AND OBSTRASSING MARKS AND OBSTRUCTIONSUCTIONSUCTIONSUCTIONSUCTIONSIn rule 18, roomroomroomroomroom is roomroomroomroomroom for an inside boat to round or pass between an outsideboat and a marmarmarmarmarkkkkk or obstrobstrobstrobstrobstructionuctionuctionuctionuction, including roomroomroomroomroom to tack or gybe when either is anormal part of the manoeuvre.
18.1 18.1 18.1 18.1 18.1 When When When When When This Rule AppliesThis Rule AppliesThis Rule AppliesThis Rule AppliesThis Rule AppliesRule 18 applies when boats are about to round or pass a mark they are requiredto leave on the same side, or an obstruction on the same side, until they havepassed it. However, it does not apply:(a) at a starting mark surrounded by navigable water or at its anchor line from
the time the boats are approaching them to start until they have passedthem, or
(b) while the boats are on opposite tacks, either on a beat to windward or whenthe proper course for one of them, but not both, to round or pass the markor obstruction is to tack.
18.2 Giving Room;8.2 Giving Room;8.2 Giving Room;8.2 Giving Room;8.2 Giving Room; K K K K Keeping Cleareeping Cleareeping Cleareeping Cleareeping Clear
(a) O(a) O(a) O(a) O(a) OVERLAPPED - BASIC RVERLAPPED - BASIC RVERLAPPED - BASIC RVERLAPPED - BASIC RVERLAPPED - BASIC RULEULEULEULEULEWhen boats are overlapped the outside boat shall give the inside boat room toround or pass the mark or obstruction, and if the inside boat has right of way theoutside boat shall also keep clear. Other parts of rule 18 contain exceptions tothis rule.
(b) O(b) O(b) O(b) O(b) OVERLAPPED AVERLAPPED AVERLAPPED AVERLAPPED AVERLAPPED AT T T T T THE ZONETHE ZONETHE ZONETHE ZONETHE ZONEIf boats were overlapped before either of them reached the two-length zone andthe overlap is broken after one of them has reached it, the boat that was on theoutside shall continue to give the other boat room. It the outside boat becomesclear astern or overlapped inside the other boat, she is not entitled to room andshall keep clear.
(c) NO(c) NO(c) NO(c) NO(c) NOT OT OT OT OT OVERLAPPED AVERLAPPED AVERLAPPED AVERLAPPED AVERLAPPED AT T T T T THE ZONETHE ZONETHE ZONETHE ZONETHE ZONEIf a boat was clear ahead at the time she reached the two-length zone, the boatclear astern shall thereafter keep clear. If the boat clear astern becomesoverlapped outside the other boat, she shall also give the inside boat room. If theboat clear astern becomes overlapped inside the other boat, she is not entitled toroom. If the boat that was clear ahead passes head to wind, rule 18.2(c) nolonger applies and remains inapplicable.
(d) CHANGING COURSE (d) CHANGING COURSE (d) CHANGING COURSE (d) CHANGING COURSE (d) CHANGING COURSE TTTTTO RO RO RO RO ROUND OR POUND OR POUND OR POUND OR POUND OR PASSASSASSASSASSWhen after the starting signal rule 18 applies between two boats and the right-of-way boat is changing course to round or pass a mark, rule 16 does not applybetween her and the other boat.
(e) O(e) O(e) O(e) O(e) OVERLAP RIGHTSVERLAP RIGHTSVERLAP RIGHTSVERLAP RIGHTSVERLAP RIGHTSIf there is reasonable doubt that a boat obtained or broke an overlap in time, itshall be presumed that she did not. If the outside boat is unable to give roomwhen an overlap begins, rules 18.2(a) and 18.2(b) do not apply.
18.3 18.3 18.3 18.3 18.3 TTTTTacacacacacking at a Marking at a Marking at a Marking at a Marking at a MarkkkkkIf two boats were approaching a mark on opposite tacks and one of themcompletes a tack in the two-length zone when the other is fetching the mark, rule18.2 does not apply. The boat that tacked:(a) shall not cause the other boat to sail above close-hauled to avoid her or
prevent the other boat from passing the mark, and(b) shall give room if the other boat becomes overlapped inside her, in which
case rule 15 does not apply.
18.4 Gybing18.4 Gybing18.4 Gybing18.4 Gybing18.4 GybingWhen an inside overlapped right-of-way boat must gybe at a mark or obstructionto sail her proper course, until she gybes she shall sail no farther from the markor obstruction than needed to sail that course.
18.5 P18.5 P18.5 P18.5 P18.5 Passing a Continassing a Continassing a Continassing a Continassing a Continuing Obstruing Obstruing Obstruing Obstruing ObstructionuctionuctionuctionuctionWhile boats are passing a continuing obstruction, rules 18.2(b) and 18.2(c) donot apply. A boat clear astern that obtains an inside overlap is entitled to room topass between the other boat and the obstruction only if at the moment theoverlap begins there is room to do so. If there is not, she is not entitled to roomand shall keep clear.
Figure B
16 MAR / APR 2006
www.hca-na.org 17
18 MAR / APR 2006
feature
The Ultimate Sail Pattern GuideFrom Flamer to Spirit, We’ve Got Them All
In the late 1960’s, only a fewboat manufacturers offered coloredsails, most notably Alcort, themakers of the Sailfish and Sunfish.Hobie Cats seemed made for color.But the first colors weren’t in thesails – they were in the hulls.
When you ordered a Hobie 14in the late 60’s, you could choosefrom twelve different gel coatcolors and you could select separatecolors for the hulls and decks.From a distance though, you stillcouldn’t tell a Hobie Cat from anyother sailboat. Hobie Cat needed
something to make their product unique and with anyluck, sell more boats. The fully battened sails were anatural canvas, so Hobie started introducing coloredpanels. The rest is history. Today, Hobie Cats andcolored sails are inexorably connected.
The first experiments with color were tentative – asingle panel in the main and jib. Then alternating colorpanels were introduced and ultimately, whole sails of asolid color. In 1974, someone had a brilliant idea:package a full-color sail pattern with special hull andtramp colors, use the relatively new black anodizedaluminum and give the scheme a name. Thus, the firstnamed “package boats” – Banana, Orchid and the everpopular Flamer designs – were born in 1975.
In the late 70’s named package boats really took off.Who can forget the Tequila Sunrise, the most popularpattern ever? Also, in 1977, Hobie Cat began provid-ing boats for the World and US National Champion-ships. In some cases, these had the new sail patternsfor the coming year, but often, they would be custompatterns not available otherwise. Large, sail numbers in
an ornate font replaced the plain identificationnumbers of the early sails. Eventually, the packagenames became associated with just the sails.
In the 1980’s, the number of color patterns ex-ploded, driven by sailcloth dyed with multiple coloredstripes. The popular Prism and Blue Hawaii patternswould not have been possible without this innovation.The dyed sailcloth was extremely versatile. It could beused in a single panel, with as many as eight differentcolor stripes, or combined with a reversed second panelto create the “double” patterns. It could be movedaround to different panels, but did not work well inthe higher panels due to their increasing wedge shape.As boat production numbers waned in the late 80’s,the dyed material became harder to get in smallerquantities. The last pattern made with it was the AllAmerican in 1990.
But while the sail patterns were becoming morenumerous, hull colors were being phased out. Sunfading and discoloration were real problems with somecolors, so by the end of the 1980’s, hulls were limitedto white, blue and yellow. The exceptions to this werethe Stars & Stripes special edition of 1987 with gun-metal blue-gray hulls and its special commemorativesails and some of the 1989 Nationals boats had lightgray hulls. With the exception of last year, the lastprovided boat Nationals was in 1989, but Hobiecontinued to supply a limited number of charter boatswith sail patterns unique to the events.
In the early 90’s Hobie began to experiment withsome completely different technologies to set theirproducts apart. Sail window material became a designelement in the ill-fated Formula 1 package. These sailswere unlike anything seen before or since. They wereteamed up with white powder-coated aluminum tocreate a striking look. Unfortunately, they didn’t wear
In the beginning, all sails were white.
www.hca-na.org 19
Lt. Blue / Dk.Blue
Red / Gold Banana Flamer Orchid
1970 – 1972
1973 1974 1975
1976 19771977197719771977
19781978197819781978
19791979197919791979
Spirit of ‘76 Goldfinger
TequilaSunrise
(blue hulls)
White Knight
‘77 NationalsYellow
‘77 NationalsRed
Blue StreakCat Fever(yellow hulls)
ChunkyBanana
Keoke OrangeCrusher
Red Rocket
Emerald Blue ‘79 NationalsBlue
‘79 NationalsYellow
‘79 NationalsGreen
‘79 NationalsOrange
TequilaSunrise
(yellow hulls)
11111 777776666655555444443333322222 9999988888
1010101010 161616161615151515151414141414131313131312121212121111111111 18181818181717171717
1919191919 252525252524242424242323232323222222222221212121212020202020 27272727272626262626
2828282828 343434343433333333333232323232313131313130303030302929292929 36363636363535353535
3737373737 434343434342424242424141414141404040404039393939393838383838
20 MAR / APR 2006
Carumba Hot Flash80 Nationals
Jalapeno80 Nationals
80 NationalsPurple
80 NationalsBlue
80 NationalsRed
Cat Fever(blue hulls)
81 Nationals
Boomer81 Nationals
Smokin’81 Nationals
Gonzo81 Nationals
OrangeCrusher
81 Nationals
19801980198019801980
19811981198119811981
19821982198219821982
82 NationalsRed
82 NationalsOrange
82 NationalsYellow
82 NationalsLt. Blue
82 NationalsDk. Blue
Blue Hawaii Blue Hawaii(reversed)
19831983198319831983
Hot Flash Prism 83 NationalsOrange
83 NationalsLt. Blue
83 NationalsDk. Blue
83 NationalsGreen
83 NationalsPurple
19841984198419841984
SummerGames
84 Nationals
PlumCrazy
84 Nationals
Tsunami84 Nationals
84 NationalsYellow
4646464646
5252525252
51515151515050505050494949494948484848484747474747
54545454545353535353 5555555555
6161616161606060606059595959595858585858
57575757575656565656
63636363636262626262 6464646464
7070707070696969696968686868686767676767
66666666666565656565
72727272727171717171 7373737373
7979797979787878787877777777777676767676
75757575757474747474
Flasher
www.hca-na.org 21
85 NationalsRed
85 NationalsYellow
(Sunburst)
85 NationalsWhite
(Prism)
19851985198519851985
19861986198619861986 19871987198719871987
86 NationalsDk. Blue
86 NationalsMed. Blue
86 NationalsLt. Blue
Redline GTPinkRocker
Mai Tai Stars & Stripes Blue Prism
Tidal Wave 87 NationalsRed
87 NationalsDk. Blue
87 NationalsPurple
87 NationalsMed. Blue
19881988198819881988
Mariah 88 NationalsWhite
88 NationalsYellow
88 NationalsBlue
88 NationalsGreen
88 NationalsPink
19891989198919891989
DoublePrism
Generator PinkPrism
MontereyGold
89 NationalsYellow
89 NationalsBlue
89 NationalsPink
89 NationalsTeal
9191919191 979797979796969696969595959595949494949493939393939292929292
99999999999898989898 100100100100100
106106106106106105105105105105104104104104104103103103103103
102102102102102101101101101101
108108108108108107107107107107
109109109109109 115115115115115114114114114114113113113113113112112112112112111111111111111110110110110110 117117117117117116116116116116
Redline
Fantasia
DoublePlum
DoubleHeat Wave
85 NationalsPurple
85 NationalsDk. Blue
85 NationalsLt. Blue
8282828282 888888888887878787878686868686858585858584848484848383838383
90909090908989898989
81818181818080808080
Oasis
22 MAR / APR 2006
Breezer Hot Fizz OrangeMylar
PurpleMylar
TealMylar
RaspberryWedge
MardiGras
Wild Thing Fiesta del Sol
HuatulcoWorlds Yellow
HuatulcoWorlds Blue
HuatulcoWorlds Red
HuatulcoWorlds Purple
HuatulcoWorlds Green
Blue Lagoon Del Mar
TwilightMylar
Baja Blues Native Sun
Mimosa
MangoMadness
Twilight Poche Capo Islands Sublime
Playa del Sol Seaside Riviera MayaWorlds Red
Riviera MayaWorlds Green
Riviera MayaWorlds Grey
Misty Solana
19911991199119911991
19931993199319931993
19951995199519951995
19981998199819981998 19991999199919991999 20002000200020002000 20022002200220022002
20042004200420042004 20052005200520052005 20062006200620062006
Spirit
136136136136136 142142142142142141141141141141140140140140140139139139139139138138138138138137137137137137 144144144144144143143143143143
145145145145145 151151151151151150150150150150149149149149149148148148148148147147147147147146146146146146 153153153153153152152152152152
154154154154154 160160160160160159159159159159158158158158158157157157157157156156156156156155155155155155 162162162162162161161161161161
Fiesta
93 Nationals
02Continentals
Mint JulepRed / YellowMylar
All American Formula 1Green
Formula 1Pink
Neon
92 Nationals
90 Nationals
118118118118118 124124124124124123123123123123122122122122122121121121121121120120120120120119119119119119 126126126126126125125125125125
127127127127127 129129129129129128128128128128
19901990199019901990
133133133133133132132132132132131131131131131130130130130130 13513513513513513413413413413419921992199219921992
www.hca-na.org 23
well – the powder coating chipped easily and the sails stretchedin odd ways, making them old before their time. They werequickly abandoned.
In 1990, Mylar sails were approved by the class for use withthe Hobie 16. The same taffeta material (one side Dacron, oneside Mylar) used for the Hobie 17 sails was used for the 16. Awhole new look was available with the vertical cut sails. Hobiequickly found out that the taffeta material was ill-suited for thewear on the H-16 jib leech from the mast, so later versions ofthe sail patterns had conventional Dacron jibs. Ultimately, theMylar sails were not as durable as the Dacron, or as fast, and thelast Mylar Hobie 16 sails, appropriately named Twilight, weremade in 1995.
In 1993, an experiment was made with a vinyl appliquépattern – the Fiesta del Sol. The look was unique, but theydidn’t sell very well. They weren’t very durable either, so vinyl
appliqué patternswere abandoned, too.
The mid-to-late90’s were Hobie’s leanyears. Few newpatterns wereintroduced and thecolor palette faded tosomber blues, purplesand greens from thehot neon colors of the80’s and early 90’s.Towards the turn ofthe century, thepalette became bolder,brighter and therewas a definite shift inthe names. Several ofthe older designs were
named after cocktails – Breezer, Hot Fizz, Mint Julep andMimosa. For Hobie’s fiftieth anniversary in 2000, patterns werenamed after famous surfing spots – Poche, Capo and KillerDana (a Hobie 20 pattern). Today, the trend is towards positivenames emphasizing sun, sand and the sea – Playa del Sol,Seaside, Solana.
The color schemes have always been greatly influenced by theavailability of sailcloth. Hobie Cats use a cloth that is heavierthan other small sailboat sails, so much of the colored sailcloth iscustom made for Hobie Cat. This was not a problem in the 70’s
and 80’s when thousands of boats were being sold each year andsailcloth was being consumed at a ferocious rate. Today, thecolor palette is limited due to the large quantity of cloth thatmust be purchased in custom colors. That’s why the currentpatterns use the same palette and panels are just rearranged tocreate new patterns.
The two world championships held in North America inrecent years (1995 in Huatulco, Mexico and 2004 in RivieraMaya, Mexico) produced some striking sails. The 1995 sails areeasily identified by the “reversed” class logo in the second panelof the main (instead of its usual third panel location) and thegiant “O’Neil” logo down the leech. These sails were meant to bephotographed from the starboard side, whereas the sails in thepattern guide show the port side of the sail. Thus, they have thelogos reversed and as if seen through the sail cloth.
The Riviera Maya patterns, in addition to showcasing thenational colors of Mexico, also have the Mayan god Choc Moolon the jib.
Finally, some disclaimers about the pattern chart:• There are no custom patterns. Hobie Cat has always been
willing to build custom sail patterns for anybody willing topay extra and as long as they had the colors in available. Thepatterns shown here were made available to the generalpublic in at least limited quantities.
• There are no European patterns. Hobie Cat Europe has hadtheir own color patterns that are much different than HobieUSA’s, especially in the past fifteen years. We just didn’t havethe resources to track them all down.
• There are no Worlds boats from outside from the NorthAmerican Region. (There were two Worlds held inGuadeloupe (’93 and ’00), which technically is in the NorthAmerican hemisphere, but the boats were European and notavailable to North American buyers.) We wanted to provide aguide to what you might see on the beach in North America.
• The Hobie 16 was chosen because the most patterns havebeen made for it and it spans the entire chronology of coloredsails. With a few exceptions, the 14 and 18 have very similarpatterns. The Hobie 17 and Hobie 20 will have guides oftheir own in the future.
Even with these caveats, there are over 160 publicly availablesail patterns that have been identified in the 36 years of Hobie16 production. However, the pattern chart will never be com-plete. Lucky for us.
Did we miss your favorite pattern? Mis-name a pattern? Not name one? Send us an e-mail at [email protected], and we’ll set the record straight.While the sail pattern images look small on the page, they are quite detailed. Want one for your own? Send us an e-mail, identify the one you want, andwe’ll e-mail it to you. We’ll even put your sail number on it.
24 MAR / APR 2006
www.hca-na.org 25
26 MAR / APR 2006
feature
It’s the dead of winter here in the Midwest. Snow, cold, drab and gray. The local news
reported recently that we’ve hadseventeen days straight with nosunshine. To help cope, our fleethere in Detroit (Fleet 276) has anoccasional gathering we call “Pints”at a local watering hole. We talk alot about sailing. After a couple ofbeers, the conversation usuallyturns to, “where’s the next regattaand is anyone going?” Then thisurge starts to overcome you and
your knees get weak. A calling of the cat sailor wild.ROAD TRIP! A road trip south. Way south. Towhere it’s sunny and warm south. What would youlike to have stuck between your toes? Frosty whitesnow or sugar white sand? Hmmm…let me think
about this for ananosecond.
Matt Bounds waslightning quick to claimthe upper rack on the double stack. Itmust have been the beer (enhances reaction time?).
Susan Lloyd (crew/significant other) and I werealready going to the Florida panhandle during theholiday break. Since we were going to be in theneighborhood anyway, towing the boats down for theregatta was a no brainer. We just needed to work thelogistics with dates, hotels, motels, flights, storage andfuel since the regatta was in mid–January. Planning aroad trip is half the fun. Actually doing it is the other.
Matt and I spent the Sunday before Christmasloading the Tigers. With the trailer loaded and roadready, Susan and I headed south after an early dinneron Christmas Day. We drove to Columbus, Ohio and
spent the night at mom’s. The next evening we pulledinto Destin but not without incident. I noticed agrinding noise coming from the rear end of theAvalanche after getting off the interstate. “Thatsounds expensive,” was the first thought.
Off to the Chevy dealer in Fort Walton Beach earlythe next morning. The diagnosis? A worn pinionbearing in the differential. The truck was in the shopfor a couple of days but it didn’t stop us. We spent thedown time surfing, soaking up the sun and getting thatsugar white sand stuck between our toes. The dealerwas very accommodating. He got us back on the road,but not after leaving my wallet substantially lighter. Itwouldn’t have been a proper road trip if somethingdidn’t break.
Florida is a deceptively long state. It’s 840 milesfrom Pensacola to Key West. The Destin to Key Largoleg alone is 700 miles. We left the panhandle early onFriday and headed south-southeast down the FloridaTurnpike. Thirteen hours and one minor detour (toRon Jon’s Surf Shop) later, we pulled into Gilbert’sResort in
Key Largo. We checked in, put theTigers in storage and walked barefoot on thesugar white sand beach. The stars in themoonless night sky were stunning and those coldmargaritas at the beachside Tiki Bar sure did take theedge off the drive.
We drove up to Miami early the next morning, leftthe Avalanche by the airport and flew back to Detroit.That work thing always seems to get in the way ofsailing. Toes get awfully cold when you wear flip flopsduring the winter time in Michigan. After getting offthe plane, we picked up our luggage and quicklyunpacked our Ugg boots. Ah … always summer on the
The Cure for Popsicle T
What’s great about loading boats in 25degree temps? Your beer never gets warm!
By John Bauldry
MATT BOUNDS
www.hca-na.org 27
inside with warm wool shearlingbetween your toes. We met our ridehome and waited patiently for thesecond half of the road trip tocontinue.
Fast forward twelve days. Thesecond half started after landing in Miami. The warmsun, puffy white clouds and gentle breeze made mequickly forget about winter in the Midwest. I pickedup the truck and drove back down to Gilbert’s Resortin Key Largo. I had to call Matt and rub it in… “it’ssunny, 83 degrees and I’ve got the A/C running.” Hesaid, “Kiss my shiny metal a$$! Its 45 degrees and rainin Detroit today. I don’t get on a plane until 9 PMtomorrow.” Patience Matt, patience.
Gilbert’s is a throwback to a bygone era. It’sold, rundown, and has been spanked bymore than a few hurricanes. It was tobe the last Tradewinds Regattaat this venue.
The bull-dozer was set to
demolish the buildingsin favor of a new, high rise condo complex.
The rest of the day was spent cleaningand assembling the boats. I had forgotten howawesome the Tiger looks sitting on the beach waitingto get wet.
Matt’s crew, Beverley Griffo, and I stretched theTiger’s sea legs on Thursday afternoon with the warmbay waters flowing between our toes. The consistentbreezes allowed us to go double wire to weather andfly downwind under the bright red spin. Olli & KellyJason and Mike & Karen Grisko joined for somewarm weather fun but not after some waterborneantics by the Griskos. A puff of wind filled their sailwhen launching, sending the boat into the bay withMike and Karen holding on for dear life. The beach
wheels were still attached underthe boat. Not a fast way to sail andwe all had a good laugh at theirexpense. The Syracuse road crew ofTim & Marie Donigan and SteveOad finally rolled into southFlorida and set up at MickyKiefer’s (Fleet 204 South) in KeyLargo. They kept an ongoingwireless travel log about the eventon the Fleet 204 forum.
Matt finally arrived and quicklyfinished rigging his boat for theFriday practice racing. He, alongwith crew Bev, Olli/Kelly, Mike/Karen, Tim/Marie, Susan and I
spent the afternoon sailing around an impromptu racecourse. Even Fleet 204’s Tommy Korz and histrimaran Roxy joined in acouple of starts. Don’tget in his windshadow!
What a joy to sailin just boardshorts and arashie knowing that we
could be somewhere muchcolder. But the weather reports were
calling for heavy rain, wind and coolertemps overnight. We enjoyed our time on the
water, sailed to the beach and secured the boats for thenight. For once the weather people were right. Later inthe evening, it pounded rain, the wind blew hard(causing 4 boats to capsize on the beach/parking lot)and the temperature dropped like a lead sinker.
Toes
John and his trademark Uggs.
It was a little windy on Saturday. Actually, it was a lot of windy on Saturday.
KELLY JASON
STEVE OAD
28 MAR / APR 2006
Popsicle Toes . . .Saturday morning was partly sunny, very windy and
much cooler. Why did we leave the drysuits at home?There was so much big air that the racing would becancelled for the day. Matt, Susan and I spent thedowntime shopping for sailing stuff, lunching at Hobo’sand tinkering with the boats. We went to a scuba outletstore and scored some full length rashies and $20wetsuits. Then it was off to Boater’s World. Rumor wasthat you told the sales guy you wanted to see the stuff inthe back room (they were discontinuing their displays ofsailing equipment). Sure enough, there was bountifulsailing treasure of Ronstan hardware, quart cans ofMcLube and professional Loos gauges all at half price.Matt was like a kid in a candy store and we scored bigtime. Word got out and many other sailors took advan-tage of the backroom deals.
Sunday morning, the wind had laid down to a respect-able, fun 15-20. Since there was no racing on Saturday,the RC decided have an early start. Most boats were onthe water by 9 AM but the races didn’t start until after9:30. Since it was colder than previous days, many crewswere hypothermic by the time the racing started. WhenSusan tried hoisting the spinnaker, her arms were movinglike crazy but the chute wasn’t going up. She couldn’t gripthe halyard because her hands were so cold. In betweenraces we saw Matt shielding Bev from the wind, facingtoward the sun in an effort to get her warm. She wasshaking so badly they withdrew from racing and headedto the beach. We withdrew after the start of the third racein order to get a good spot on the beach and start takingdown the boat for the trip home.
With the double stack ready to go, Susan and I left theKeys and headed north. Our route was easy. Go north onI-75 and turn left at Detroit. We made it to Valdosta,GA, spent the night at a motel and continued the driveon Monday morning. In typical road trip fashion, theAvalanche was full of empty coffee cups, food wrappers,clothes and smelly sailing gear. We rolled into Detroitaround 8:30 PM after an uneventful drive home. I wouldlike to thank CABB, Rick White and Mary Wells forhosting the regatta and giving us Northerners a rarechance to sail in January. Now … if I could only get thatfrosty white snow on my toes to change over to sugarwhite sand. Midwinter’s East anyone?
www.hca-na.org 29
30 MAR / APR 2006
feature
Keepin’ ScoreCongratulations to the 2005 North American Points Champions!by Bill Jeffers, HCA Scoring Chair and Theresa White, past HCA Scoring Chair
Editor’s Note: Bill Jeffers took over the North AmericanScoring from Theresa (Fluffy) White in January of this year. Billis a 3-time Hobie 14 National Champion and a general Hobieenthusiast. In 2005, he was ranked 9th nationally in the Hobie14 class, 8th in the Hobie 16 class (with his wife, Sandy), and 33rd
in the Hobie 17 class.
Well, 2005 is over and all of the regatta scores from each division across North America have finally been received, en-
tered, and tabulated. Last year marked a full re-birthof the continental scoring system after the end-of-yearseries of calculations done for 2004.
You may recall that the mainreason that the ranking system wasbrought back was that it’s just plainfun – not to mention that it makesgreat conversation over a brew ortwo. With that in mind, a lookback at the 2005 scores might earnyou a few bragging rights. If youstudy them really well, maybe you’lluncover the secret formula to getyour name listed in the top five foryour class next year!
In 2005, the total number of points to earn acontinental title in any class remained roughly thesame as in 2004, so you might guess that 2006 will tella similar story. Essentially, anything above 280 willreward you with the title for any class, except theHobie 16. To win that hotly contested class, you needclose to 300 points. More than 700 competitors threwtheir hats in the ring to win the Hobie 16 class. In theend, the scores were so close that only .28 of a pointseparated the top two teams. Talk about close!
Many of the competitors that took top five spotsfor 2005 did not take those spots in 2004. As a matterof fact, no class had more than two teams who had
been in the top five the previous year. A specialcongratulations to those that did (Rich McVeigh,Wally Myers, Dan Ward, Stephen Acquart, SteveCooley, Paul Evenden, Phil Collins, and Tim Parsons).That means that there really is a good chance that ifyou score well and participate in enough events, youcould well find your name listed in next year’sHOTLINE article on scoring.
To do well in the 2006 rankings, remember how thescoring system works! Here are some importantpoints:
1.) The system awards a pretty good number of pointsfor small fleets (unless you are last). This is a reallygood thing because it encourages participation atsmaller events.
2.) The system rewards participation. Those whoattend more events will usually place higher in thestandings. So, those who are doing well are notonly scoring well, but attending more events.
3.) It is harder to earn points in certain parts of thecountry where the competition is tough. However,there are more points to be earned in these areas,and the system seems to do a good job at rewardinga middle-of-the-pack finish in a big fleet. Thesystem therefore encourages sailors to travel to bigregattas and has somewhat removed the divisionborder barrier in that respect.
Despite the cold here in Upstate New York, the sunis still shining in more southern climes. You luckywarm people are already sailing and having regattas.So, the 2006 scoring is already happening. If youhaven’t checked your rankings recently, log on towww.hca-na.org/. How will you measure up for 2006?!
Fluffy White and Bill Jeffers
STUART CRABBE
www.hca-na.org 31
Final Results – 2005 North American PointsHobie 16 Class – 740 Competitors
Hobie 18 Class – 194 Competitors
Hobie Tiger Class – 96 Competitors
Hobie 20 Class – 160 Competitors
Hobie 14 Class – 47 Competitors
Hobie 17 Class – 139 Competitors
Hobie 14T – 6 CompetitorsCoe, Peggy
Hobie 18M – 5 CompetitorsJernigan, Chris; Richter, Karen
Hobie 18SX – 1 CompetitorSeary, George; Hage, Fres
Hobie FX1 – 7 CompetitorsCarter, Vic
Hobie Wave – 13 CompetitorsThompkins, George
Special AwardsThe Iron Butt AwardFor attending the most HCA Sanctioned Events
Phil and Bev Collins - 13 Events(Hobie 20, Division 14)
Honorable Mention:
Gordon Bagley and Darline - 12 Events(Hobie 16, Division 2)
The “Most with the Least” AwardFor the highest place with the fewest regattas attended
Val and Renata Kwasiewski - 2nd w/ 5 Events(Hobie 20, Division 14)
Honorable Mention:
Pedro Colon / Martin Roldan - 3rd w/6 Events(Hobie 16, Division 13)
From the Scoring DeskHere is the basic information we need to get your scores in right.1.)*Name of the event: We need all of the names of the event. If it
is a division or area championship we to know that, too. Pleasesupply all of the names that the regatta can be known by.
2.)*Date of the event.3.)*Host fleet and Division or country.4.)For each entrant:
a.) *Skipper first and last name.b.) *Skipper HCA number.c.) *Final position (1, 2, 3, …)d.) *Fleet (A, B, C, N)e.) *Hobie class (16, 17, 18, Tiger, …)f.) Crew first and last nameg.) Crew HCA membership number.* - required information.
32 MAR / APR 2006
www.hca-na.org 33
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Information – HCA HOTLINE, Matt Bounds, Editor, (248) 980-7931, [email protected]
Advertiser Info& Rate Sheet
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Full color version posted on www.hobiecat.com/hobieclass indefinitelyReader Demographics: Family oriented sport; age range from 10 - 70, Average age 35, affluent
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HCA HOTLINE MAGAZINE
34 MAR / APR 2006
Editor’s Note: Mike Madge joins the HOTLINE staff as our“foreign correspondent.” Mike’s from Thunder Bay, Ontario,Canada, where the winters are long and thoughts of Hobie sailorsoften turn to warmer climes. Mike spent some time with the newAustralian National Champion, Darren Smith, to discover hissecrets for success.
HOTLINE: Can you tell us a little bit about yoursailing background?
SMITH: I’ve been sailing catamarans for 32 years,started crewing on a Hobie 16 when I was sevenyears old. Been back on the Hobie 16 for last nineyears.
HOTLINE: Who are some of your sailing idols?SMITH: I have always been envious of the Olympic
sailors Brian Lewis (from my club), Mitch Boothand Darren Bundock. However, my greatest friendsand rivals in Hobie sailing are Gavin Colby and
Simone Matfield, ex-worldchampions also from the mysailing club.
HOTLINE: Can you share afew tips?SMITH: I believe equipment isvery important and needs to bemaintained and that it aids inhaving a good regatta bycompleting every race, especiallyin a series. Good crew work alsohelps, Natalie and myself havebeen together for three years.
HOTLINE: Maybe can yougive us little insight into theAustralian Hobie scene, andwhat makes Australians so
dominant (maybe you can dispelthe myth we here in NorthAmerica believe is that there issomething in the Aussie beer).
SMITH: You may be correct aboutthe beer! But really, I believe it isthe great camaraderie betweensailors on and off the water, sowe tend to get together regularlyeven though some live oppositesides of the country and drinklots of beer and rum (Bundy isthe drink of choice). Fleet sizes are great, atNedlands Yacht Club, where I sail, I competeagainst 18-25 Hobie 16’s every weekend in thesummer. Our winds are generally consistent andaverage 18 knots.
HOTLINE: At the nationals, your throw out was a5th in a fleet of 47 Hobie 16’s. How did you remainso consistent?
SMITH: I believe our consistency during the regattawas due to getting great starts, being aware ofwhat’s going on around us (particularly bands ofwind pressure) and making no mistakes during theracing (and a little luck. According to the opposi-tion—a lot of luck).
HOTLINE: What are some of your future sailinggoals? Are you thinking of an Olympic campaign?
SMITH: My sailing goals haven’t changed much sinceI attended my first worlds in Guadeloupe in 2000.At that stage, it was to attend an internationalregatta; now it is to make it within the top 10 at aworlds. The Olympics are out of the question dueto finances and my age (38).
feature
Personal ProfileAn Interview with Darren Smith, winner of the Hog’s Breath Cafe’Australian Hobie 16 National Championshipby Mike Madge
Darren and crew Natalie Hill
SPORT THE LIBRARY
www.hca-na.org 35
HOTLINE: I notice from some of the pictures thatyou sail upwind with one rudder up. Can you sharesome of your thoughts on that?
SMITH: I generally only lift one rudder while goingdownwind and reaching. The only time I lift itwhile going upwind is when I am on the layline andI lift it from out on the wire. I don’t tack quicklyenough if I have it lifted all the time. Having therudder up while sailing makes the steering reallyresponsive, particularly while flying a hull as there is
no drag on the windward side.
HOTLINE: You mentionedGavin Colby as your goodfriend; is he still competing, andhow do you usually fare againsthim?SMITH: Gavin Colby hasn’traced with us for over a year ashe is following his career inaviation and currently resides inthe north of our country about3,000 kilometers away. On a
club level, our racing is very similar, and only on arare occasion does he give me a thrashing. However,at important regattas, he usually steps up andbecomes very hard to beat.
HOTLINE: Who were some of the other top com-petitors from the nationals and are there any newcomers ready to step up?
SMITH: Competition at our nationals is alwaystough, this year threats came from Mick Butler(10th in South Africa), Brad Sumner (currentHobie 18 world champion) and Bob Enqwirda(13th in South Africa). The upcoming sailors areShane Peterson and Chris Hancock, both in theirearly 20’s. The real youngsters to look out for areJason Waterhouse (14) and Jeremy Roberts (17)who won the youth Hobie 16 nationals held at asimilar time as our regatta but at a different venue.
HOTLINE: Thanks for this, Darren. We hope to seeyou in North America some time soon.
SMITH: Have a Hobie day, hope to be in NorthAmerica soon, Darren
Darren and Natalie accept the Hog’s Breath National Championship Trophies fromlong-time Hobie sailor and Hog’s Breath Cafe’ manager, Miles Wood.
SPORT THE LIBRARY
SUE FIELDS
SUE FIELDS
36 MAR / APR 2006
Purpose of the Youth GrantThe purpose of the Youth Grant
shall be to assist Junior and Youthsailors in attending ChampionshipHobie Cat events, including, butnot limited to:
• Youth events sanctioned by theHobie Class Association ofNorth America
• Youth events sanctioned andorganized by the InternationalHobie Class Association andheld in conjunction with otherIHCA Worlds events
These Youth Grants shall beissued without financial obligationon the part of the receiving teams,however, the Youth Grants shall besubject to the terms and conditionsas set forth in these guidelines.
Grant Request GuidelinesThe following parameters are
those that have been set forth bythe HCA Executive Council as theminimum criteria to be met byyouth teams wishing to apply for afinancial grant for attendingeligible events.• Both skippers and crews must
be HCA members.• Skippers must sail in at least
three (3) HCA-sanctionedevents during the qualifyingseason prior to petitioning for agrant. Exceptions may be made
at the Council’s discretion whenseasonal considerations justifysuch action. They may sail as askipper or crew in those events.
Teams must submit the follow-ing documents to apply for anHCA Youth Grant:
1) An essay explaining why theyshould receive the Grant.
2) A resume of sailing training andexperience.
3) Planned expenses for the eventin question.
4) A list of HCA sanctionedregattas attended in the currentyear and finish positions.
5) A personal reference (parent orcoach, for example) must benamed to provide assistance inadministration, disbursementand management of the YouthGrant.
At the conclusion of the eventthe following must be submitted:
• A detailed expense reportoutlining expenditures anddisbursement of the YouthGrant monies, signed by thereference individual.
• An article about their experiencein the event in question, tosubsequently be submitted toHCA News through the HCAYouth Chairperson.
Selection ProcessAll Youth Grant requests shall
be submitted to the current HCAYouth Chairperson 60 days prior tothe event. No requests subsequentto that date will be considered forthat year.
Youth Grant requests shall bereviewed by the HCA Council andawards to qualified teams shall beannounced a minimum of 30 daysprior to the event. To be consideredfor a Youth Grant, all informationrequested must be provided by thedue date, without exception.
Youth Grants shall be awardedbased on several factors, includingbut not limited to: funds available,number of requests received, needsof the individual teams, andrequirements of established youthprograms serving a number ofYouth teams.
Questions should be directed bye-mail to the current HCA YouthChairperson:
Mimi [email protected]
HCA Youth Grantsresources
www.hca-na.org 37
38 MAR / APR 2006
Chair
Ed Muns
POB 1877
Los Gatos, CA 95031-1877
408.353.1853
1st Vice Chair
Bob Merrick
141 Short Beach Rd
Branford, CT 06405
203.488.7820
2nd Vice Chair
Rob Jerry
118 Stanwood Ln.
Manlius, NY 13104
315.637.7956
electedofficers
2006hcaboardofdirectors
voting members
DIVISION 1Bobby Wythes
34 White Sands PlaceKailua, HI 96734-1966
DIVISION 2Dave Dixon
16831 Orchard Bend RoadPoway, CA 82064
DIVISION 3Adam Borcherding
522 Columbia StreetSanta Cruz, CA 95060-6511
DIVISION 4Laura Sullivan
20831 SE 213thMaple Valley, WA 98038
DIVISION 5Dan Brennan
17960 Woodhaven DrColorado Springs, CO 80908
DIVISION 6Chris Green
2220 Brae LaneLeague City, TX 77586
DIVISION 7Chris Wessels
5600 Lakeview Dr.Clear Lake, IA 50428
641.357.4577 / [email protected]
DIVISION 8Bob Johnson
906 Woodcliff AvenueTampa, Florida 33613
DIVISION 9Loyd Graves
4709 Glen Forest DriveRaleigh, NC 27612
DIVISION 10Jeff Rabidoux
201 N. Squirrel Road #1801Auburn Hills, MI 48326
DIVISION 11Ron LaPorta
120 Netherwood DrCoatesville, PA 19320-1467
DIVISION 12Dave Heroux
27 Foster Center RdFoster, RI 02825-1326
DIVISION 13Alfredo Figueroa
921 Verdi St., Reparto SevillaSan Juan, PR 00924
(787)[email protected]
DIVISION 14Mark Benge
2341 S. Avery AvenueMidwest City, OK 73130
DIVISION 15Brad Stephens
17644 Front Beach RoadPanama City Beach, FL 32413
DIVISION 16Kevin Wilson
8442 Transit LaneBaldwinsville, NY 13027
on the web
International Hobie Class
Association
www.hobieclass.com
Hobie Cat Company USA
www.hobiecat.com
Hobie Product Support
www.hobiecat.com/support
Hobie Community Forums
www.hobiecat.com/community
appointedofficers
Women’sRepresentative
Heather Morrison8009 W. Harvest Lane
Wichita, KS 67212316.729.8417
1 HAWAII
resources
Membership Chair
Diane Bisesi
8763 Weaver Rd.
Brewerton, NY 13029
(T) 315.699.5453
(F) 315.432.5102
Secretary
Kathy Ward
1331 Robertson Way
Sacramento, CA 95818
916.715.3133
Treasurer
Kathleen Tracy
2625 Jewelstone Court
Ft Collins, CO 80525
970.223.2642
Youth Program Director
Mimi Appel
3357 Collins Road
Marcellus, NY 13108-9647
Race Director
Paul Ulibarri
3334 Fulton
Victoria, BC V9C 2T9
Canada
250.474.7580
Championships Coordinator
Lori Mohney
2812 E Shore Drive
Portage, MI 49002-6581
269.327.4565
Guest Expert Program
Coordinator
Kim Edmonds
13323 Eagle View Land
Roland, AR 72135
501.868.8801
Sponsorship Director
Steve Leo
268 Quincy Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90803-1637
562.547.9092 (cell)
562.856.7774
Scorekeeper
Bill Jeffers
Hobie Feet 204
Syracuse, NY
585.370-9160
For Local andCountry contacts:
hca-na.org
Hobie Class Association
of North America
www.hca-na.org
Women’s Hobie Cat Racing
www.hca-na.org
Guest Expert Program
www.hc-na.org
Web Master
Rich McVeigh
14813 Fireside Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20905
301.384.3695
additional resources
www.hca-na.org 39
40 MAR / APR 2006
WHY JOIN US SAILING?
US SAILING is the national governing body for the sport of sailing and merits the support of you and every sailorthrough direct membership. US SAILING’s mission is to encourage participation and promote excellence in sailingand racing in the United States.
You can become a member of US SAILING, or renew your membership, at a discount, while making certain the MultihullCouncil (MHC) gets credited with your membership as a Multihull sailor. This will help improve the Multihull presence inUS SAILING and save you at least $10 on your annual dues to boot. All you need to do is send your membership duesto the program administrator who collects them all, consolidates them and sends one check to US SAILING so that theMHC gets credit for them.
Will you support US SAILING with your membership?Darline Hobock, Program Administrator
Primary Racing: One Design? Portsmouth? Other? (specify)
